It Doesn't Matter
by SerendipitousWriting
Summary: Just a little one-shot I wrote about Ariel. Enjoy! *Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story*


I laid, stretched luxuriously out on the warm sand of the beach, drinking in the sun. The only sounds were the tropical birds calling to one another above me, and the waves lapping quietly at my tail. I ran my fingers carelessly through my scarlet hair, smiling up at the cloudless sapphire sky. Suddenly, I heard voices break the stillness. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up quickly. I could see in the distance a small boat, with three passengers. As it came closer, I saw there there were two men... and a horse? I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes, and sure enough, there was a horse in the boat. I giggled softly to myself, and hugged my emerald tail to my chest, watching the boat drift toward us. The men seemed in despair. I watched them intently, waiting until they got closer. I hadn't seen a human, or a mer-person for that matter (save an occasional dark-skinned native of the island, but they never really did much save for capture fish), for three years, since Eric had become tired of me and found another young woman, and I had run off and begged my father to turn me back into a mermaid. I had swum as far as I could from that loathsome place, but it was often lonely here, and I longed for company. They didn't seem to notice the island, so there seemed to be no problem of them seeing me. They came very close to the island, and I slipped silently into the water. The darker haired of the two was speaking. "I never... had enough... gold." I snorted and rolled my eyes. The other began, "My regret, besides dying, is... our greatest adventure is over before it began, and no one will even remember us." They were silent for a moment or two, and the first one began again. "If it's any consolation, Miguel, you... made my life... an adventure." "And, if it's any consolation, Tulio... you...made my life... rich..." I smiled sadly at this, but they were about to hit the sand of the beach in a moment, so really there was no use of sympathy. "Is it...?" The one now known as Miguel gasped, feeling the jolt of the boat touching the soft sand. Tulio (was that right?) looked at his companion. "Hmm?" "Is is! it's- it's- it's-" he stammered over his words in surprise. I laughed at him softly. "It's _land!_" The three passengers from the longboats leaped out and began kissing the ground. They clearly hadn't seen dry earth for a while. Miguel realized he had begun kissing a skull of a pirate who had died before I even got to the island. Miguel wiped his tongue on his hands and backed away. "All in favor of getting back in the boat, say 'aye'. Aye," Tulio suggested. The large white horse grunted, and Miguel added an 'aye' and the began to run back to the boat. Miguel suddenly froze, and turned around slowly, and pulled a scroll of parchment from his pocket.

"Hey, Miguel! I could use a little help!" Tulio cried impatiently.

"Hello! Miguel!?"

"Tulio! We've done it!"

"What's that? The map?"

"It's all right here!

" "You still have the map?"

"The whistling rock! The stream!" Miguel gestured at a rock and a little rivulet running down to the ocean.

"You kept the map, but you couldn't grab a little more food?" "Even those mountains. You said so yourself: it could be possible. And it is! It really is... the map to El Dorado!"

"You drank seawater, didn't you?"

"Oh come on!"

"I'm not coming on! I wouldn't set foot in that jungle for a million pesetas!"

Miguel didn't think for a moment. "How about a hundred million?" Tulio, who had been walking away, turned back. "What?" I was thinking the same thing. Miguel adopted a mischevious look. "I just thought that since El Dorado was the city of gold..." "What's your point?" Tulio asked warily. "You know, dust, nuggets, bricks, a temple of gold where you can pluck gold from the very walls. But you don't want to go, so let's... get back in the boat and row back to Spain. After all, it worked so well the last time." Tulio's mind was changed at the thought of gold, clearly. "Wait! Mmm... Wait a minute. New plan. We find the city of gold. We take the gold, and _then_ we row back to Spain." I swam quickly to the beach, but I hid my tail in the sand so they wouldn't see it. "Hey, you two!" Both of them looked at me, shock written all over their faces. I motioned for them to come. Tulio lowered his voice, and said something to Miguel, and then turned to me. "Who are you, and how long have you been eavesdropping on us?" he asked. "Who are _you,_ and why are you here?" I replied, even though I had figured that out from listening to them. "I am Miguel, and this," Miguel said, gesturing to Tulio, "is Tulio. We are only here because-" Tulio clapped a hand over Miguel's mouth. "You have to answer our question first," he demanded. "Fine. I'm Ariel, and I've been listening long enough to know you two are going on an adventure. I've been here for three years, and I... I'm tired of being alone here, and I'm tired of nothing _happening!_" I said. "Would you two mind bringing me with you?" They looked at each other for a moment. "Listen, we lost our supplies, and we already have three mouths to feed. We won't be able to take you along with us," Tulio said. "Whatever, it doesn't matter... I couldn't even come with you anyway..." I replied. "Why not?" Miguel inquired, stepping towards me. I raised my tail, and water and sand poured off of it. The two gasped, as well as the horse, id horses can gasp. "Yeah, so I can't exactly walk through the jungle with you. I'm sorry I bothered you, I was just so excited that someone finally came, and I forgot about my tail..." I pushed myself back into the water and began to swim away. Miguel ran into the water. "Hey, Ariel, wait!" I turned back, and swam a few feet towards him. He pointed to the rivulet. "Can you come with us on that?" I shook my head. "Too small. Just forget you ever met me. Good luck finding that gold," I replied, and dove back into the water. When I re-surfaced and climbed up on a rock jutting out of the sea, Tulio was walking into the woods with the horse and Miguel.

A week or so later, I was out sunning myself on the beach again, curling and uncurling my tail. I sighed, looking wistfully at the cut foliage where the three companions had entered the jungle. I turned so I was facing the sea, sat up, and closed my eyes, letting the wind tousle my burgundy hair lightly. I listened to the waves lapping on the shore. "Come on, I can hear the waves!" I jumped in surprise, and slid into the ocean, and swam off to where I had watched the trio disappear into the trees. Strangely enough, the three emerged from the jungle, with an additional person. She must have been a native girl, for she wore the garb and her skin was darkened by the sun like the natives. I had dragged the boat in which the original three had landed up the beach after they went off on their adventure, and they now found it again, with cries of joy. I smiled at their reaction, and Tulio and Miguel began to carry the boat back to the water. Tulio grabbed a fallen branch of a tree, and the men pushed it off and the four jumped into the boat as it began to drift off. Paddling with the branch they took off, gliding away. I ducked under the water and swam after the boat. I came back up not far from the boat, and Miguel took a parting glance back at the island. I waved, and his eyes widened. He grabbed Tulio's arm, and pointed at me. I swam closer, and grabbed the side of the boat. "Um.. hi. I hope you enjoyed your adventure," I said in a quiet voice. "Er.. I'm sorry you couldn't come, it was incredibly exciting, and you would have been glad to get away from doing nothing all the time." I smiled softly at him. "Whatever, it doesn't matter."


End file.
